Lake watch. Schools.

Many School Board Members Cite Frustration For Not Running Again

The deadline has passed and the lineups are basically set for the November school board elections in Lake County.

But perhaps just as interesting as who is running this fall is who is not running.

A number of longtime school board members across the county are willingly giving up their seats this fall. Their reasons vary: anger over state funding, the repeated failure of referendum proposals to raise property taxes, the ever-present pinch of property-tax caps and the constant struggle to do more with less money.

But the bottom line is the same-they are frustrated.

Consider the following examples:

Algene Norwood, a 14-year member of the North Chicago District 187 board, is one of those stepping aside.

"I'm stressed out," she said. "I think the last couple years have been especially stressful in terms of what has happened here with the finances in the district, and changes in personnel and everything.

"It's frustrating. And when you get older you try to alleviate some stress from your life, and when you find out what those things are that are affecting you, you just have to back off and start thinking about self and family."

North Chicago's situation has been especially stressful in the last year. The entire district almost went out of business, the superintendent left for a new job in Ann Arbor, Mich., and a possible teachers' strike is looming.

Louisa Levy, who has served on the appointed Lake Forest District 67 board for five years, said she just wants to be able to spend more time with her family.

The district was rocked two years ago by a test-cheating scandal that generated national publicity, and now former Supt. Allen Klingenberg is facing trial for misuse of public funds.

"We've been through exhaustive personnel changes, and the work has been extremely time-consuming," Levy said. "But the issues have been resolved, and the proper personnel is now in place. . . . I've given enough, and it's time to move on."

Alice Ganar, vice president of the Antioch High School District 117 board, has served there for four years and served for six years on the grade school board before that. But too much bureaucracy and not enough action are causing her to sit this one out.

"When I was first elected to the school board, I had goals of improving the academics at the schools and providing more opportunities for the students," she said. "And all of those things have become quite a challenge due to things like the tax cap, funding shortages and the inability to pass referendums and raise money for the district."

But Ganar is not completely pessimistic.

"I think there is more focus right now on education," she said. "And if the support that has come about for education in the last year or so keeps up, something will be done to help the schools. If not, we will stay in the same situation we are in."